Thursday, September 6, 2012

Designer Spotlight: Rose Cumming

Of course, I jumped at the chance having a huge admiration for Rose and her work.

Not only is Rose Cumming a name well known in the design circles, but she was one of the most influential

designers of her time...and still to this day influences designers and creatives all around the world....and Rose was originally from Sydney. Ah, an Aussie talent to boot!

The book details Roses' beginnings from a strong willed and independent young Lady that set about to move to Paris and get Married, but ended up alone and in New York where she fast became one of the favourites about town. Her first store on the upper East side was filled with looming windows and a place to be able to get decorating services as well as the pieces to do it...and she was also the first to keep the store lights on at night. Something that most decorating stores do now.

This book is magnificent and is filled with stunning images of Roses' work, including her early work and well known rooms, letters, images of her original hand block prints, sample boards, sketches and my favourite

- a look book of sorts in the center of the book, filled with pictures of Roses' rooms, just like it would have been given to clients way back in the 1920's & 30's.

Rose loved everything Chinoiserie and chintz and against the grain added these to informal rooms.

Rose added colour to her chintz and used it in abundance.

Her most famous Chintz prints- "Delphinium" was filled with her signature colours- lilacs, mauves , grape and

orchid and printed on black stripes on a taupe background.

The part that amazes me still is her design of metallic wallpaper that she added gorgeous designs of birds an flowers and amazing patterns.

Roses' interiors were anything but drab. She filled the space with colour, texture and form and her famous NY store lured the likes ofcelebrated personalities such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Andy Warhol, Rudolf Nureyev, and Jacqueline Onassis and become one of the inventors and leaders in Interior Decorating....and we should thank Rose for that.

Not only was Rose a mover and shaker in decorating circles, but her personal style was also ahead of its time. She often sported purple hair, wore plunging necklines with cleavage on display and was very outspoken...what's not to love about this Woman? Rose would have fit right in in this time.

Malabar Antique House Show Case... the most prevalent architectural show case house with its traditional historic and cultural Indian value is for sale. For more details, contact: oldhouseantique@gmail.com or visit: http://oldhouseantiqueshowcase.eu